In today’s episode of The Water Cooler Hangout, we reconnect with Graham Bodie to talk about his work at the Listen First Project, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing people into conversation despite their differences, where he currently serves as the chief listening officer.

Graham is recognized as a highly accomplished international expert on listening, and the social cognitive underpinnings of human communicative behavior, having authored over 90 published papers. His immense productivity has placed him in the top one percent of published Communication Studies scholars.

In our conversation, we talk with Graham about the project’s mission, how it was founded, and what its impact has been. The Listen First Project has had a broad impact, especially in its partnership with the Weave The Social Fabric Project, with whom they have created America Talks, an initiative that hosts events geared towards repairing America’s divides, one conversation at a time.

We hear from Graham about how the America Talks events have helped empower individuals to combat toxic polarization in their everyday lives and what his hopes are for the future. Join us today for a powerful conversation on the power of connection, stories, and much more!